Tech college credit transfer approved

ATLANTA — Students earning an associate degree at the state’s technical colleges can transfer into 19 Georgia private colleges under an agreement signed this week.

Officials from the Georgia Independent College Association and the Technical College System of Georgia formalized the deal in a Capitol ceremony with Gov. Nathan Deal. Among the private schools participating are Mercer University, Paine College, Berry College, Shorter College and LaGrange College.

Notable among those not on the list are Emory University, Morehouse College and Agnes Scott College.

The University System of Georgia, which operates the state’s public colleges and universities, has signed a similar agreement. Few states have such arrangements between tech schools and private colleges.

It’s all part of Deal’s initiative to boost the number of Georgians completing a college degree. Two-thirds of the jobs in the future will require college degrees, and he wants to make sure Georgians are prepared for them so employers will want to locate here.

Students also benefit by having more place to finish a four-year degree, according to Joe Dan Banker, the Technical College System’s director of academic affairs.

“Collaborations like this allow us to open greater opportunities for students to pursue their dreams of career advancement through steady and continuous education,” he said.